Snow blankets Middle East as residents rejoice cold conditions

A snow storm landed in the Middle East on Wednesday as large parts of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and the West Bank experienced one of the coldest winters in years.

Social media users shared a multitude of photos and videos showing the severity of the weather in places where roads were blocked and homes were snowed in.

Beaches and mountains in Lebanon had a canopy of unexpected white snow.

Many roads had limited access due to the snow, while schools announced closures for a temporary period.

Children went out into the streets to watch the flakes falling and hurl snowballs at each other.

In Palestine, Abed Shabany, took his two sons to play on a hill overlooking Jerusalem. As he reversed his Jeep through inches of slush, other parents kept themselves warm brewing coffee on gas canisters in their boots, according to the Associated Press.

“I haven’t seen anything like this for years,” he said. “There’s no school today so I’m just going around with the kids making snowmen and snowballs. I think it’s a good sign. It will be a good year, I hope,” he told the Associated Press.

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Police closed off several main highways leading to Jerusalem, and bus services inside the city were suspended, according to the Associated Press.

Before arriving in Jerusalem, the winter storm swept through the Mediterranean region, from Greece across Turkey and into Syria.

With agencies

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